Should I give money to the homeless? (mortgage, manufacturing)

[Willamette City]

We have one rule: If they have a dog, we give them a dollar.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by geekigurl

People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they're just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do they want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He's homeless.

I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says "why don't you go get a job you bum?"

People always say that to homeless guys like it's so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm betting his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview.
I'm pretty sure even McDonald's has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it very strictly, but I'm sure it's on the books.


Follow your heart. <3

Haha - love this! A serious problem but interjecting some humor is sorely needed.

[BlakeJones]

Originally Posted by geekigurl

People always say that to homeless guys like it's so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm betting his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview.
I'm pretty sure even McDonald's has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it very strictly, but I'm sure it's on the books.

So in your worldview an underwear-challenged person demonstrates proper fiduciary responsibility of your donation?

[kitty61]

Originally Posted by jencam

Some of them do refuse food. They want money for alcohol. There is one that I see often because he takes care of a homeless cat that I aid in feeding. All he wants is beer.

It's great that you have only encountered people who genuinely wanted food and were grateful.

You probably don't live somewhere where there are a ton of them, or you would have a more varied experience.

Heck, some of our homeless are not even homeless. They are just scamming.

There is one guy that turns his head when I see him at his various locations. He knows how pissed I am that he lied to me and wasted a ton of my time trying to help him with his fake story.

And some are dangerous. I've lost patience. The guy who shrugged at me when I gave him 50 cents, had that been a couple years prior I would have said follow me across the parking lot. I don't carry cash, but I am going to get something to eat and will buy you something.

I used to do that when they were few here and did really want food. Now, here, most of them do not. They have food, clothes, they are showered, etc. They want their addiction needs met.

I still have a soft heart. I saw one walking past my gate in triple digit heat carrying a lot of stuff. I ran to take him a bottle of water. Listening to him was not a waste, he appreciated it, but talking to him was.

Trying to tell him about all the programs. He knows. He doesn't want to enter rehab or any program. He wants to keep drinking.

Thank you for your "soft" heart. A bottle of water is vital. Engaging them in a conversation is too.

Yes addicts don't make any sense. Addiction tells the addict he will die without the substance. Panic, fear, and compulsion keeps an addict in a vicious cycle. It doesn't make sense to people who have never been in the mess. It finally took me 8 months of living in a rehab to get sober at age 50. My insurance took care of it. That was after a few attempts at other rehabs that failed.A homeless addict is going to be even more hopeless and helpless.


An addict should not attempt quitting without medical oversight. Quitting kills too.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

So in your worldview an underwear-challenged person demonstrates proper fiduciary responsibility of your donation?

Really? It’s humor, that is the joke, Blake - a person expressing ‘get a job’ in regard to people who clearly have multiple issues as to why they aren’t going to take the buck and invest it in their future. And as far as ‘your donation’, she never even indicated whether she was the type to donate money directly. .

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by kitty61

Thank you for your "soft" heart. A bottle of water is vital. Engaging them in a conversation is too.

Yes addicts don't make any sense. Addiction tells the addict he will die without the substance. Panic, fear, and compulsion keeps an addict in a vicious cycle. It doesn't make sense to people who have never been in the mess. It finally took me 8 months of living in a rehab to get sober at age 50. My insurance took care of it. That was after a few attempts at other rehabs that failed.A homeless addict is going to be even more hopeless and helpless.


An addict should not attempt quitting without medical oversight. Quitting kills too.

Congrats on your sobriety!

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

So in your worldview an underwear-challenged person demonstrates proper fiduciary responsibility of your donation?

Yes Blake, there are people in the world who are happy to give an “underwear-challenged” headcase a buck - or $5 - to enjoy being here in the moment now ... and consider contributing to short term pleasure an expression of “fiduciary responsibility”. ... Especially in the absence of any real hope or expectation that the “underwear-challenged” of the streets will ever have any chance of reentering the mainstream in any social / economical capacity at all.

[BlakeJones]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Yes Blake, there are people in the world who are happy to give an “underwear-challenged” headcase a buck - or $5 - to enjoy being here in the moment now ... and consider contributing to short term pleasure an expression of “fiduciary responsibility”. ... Especially in the absence of any real hope or expectation that the “underwear-challenged” of the streets will ever have any chance of reentering the mainstream in any social / economical capacity at all.

Listen, I can be persuaded that my $5 can make this guy happy in a way that he cannot do for himself so he can buy something, but unfortunately in 99% of cases he is buying booze, lotto tickets, glue, hair spray, or half a dime bag

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by BlakeJones

Listen, I can be persuaded that my $5 can make this guy happy in a way that he cannot do for himself so he can buy something, but unfortunately in 99% of cases he is buying

First of all - while “he” and even “99%” of his bretheren may be buying “booze, lotto tickets, glue, hair spray, or half a dime bag” ... you don’t know that. Unless you have some studies to show us readers?

Second - while “he” and even “99%” of his bretheren may be buying “booze, lotto tickets, glue, hair spray, or half a dime bag” ... those purchases, anathematic to you, likely DO, exactly, make him happy in the moment... and, frankly, people like that don’t get a lot of happy moments the way you and I do through more “socially acceptable” means.

I had a schizophrenic ward (girlfriend’s brother) I helped support and care for over many years ... he was a Marine Corps veteran who lost his mental grip in service and I helped him acquire vet’s benefits to care for him. He was severe. Meds couldn’t bring him anywhere near basic functioning. But he just loved beer. Another brother became irritated with me for allowing the patient to sneak off and drink a couple cans at times. The righteous (ultra-religious) brother decided to assume responsibility for about a year at one point. Moved the schiz-bro in with him, etc. Drove the poor afflicted even crazier with controlling behaviors. I told sober-bro “it’s all he’s got for pleasure ... he’s not going to live a long life.” Sober-bro eventually threw in the towel and we took the patient back. He drank a few beers several days a week until he died at age 42. He was happier for his indulgence.

[TCROX]

The vagrants are stealing from everyone- sometimes violently
The advocates and “public servants” are stealing from everyone-excessively.
Cash to the excon vagrants for drugs and booze is just a corollary to voting liberal.